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Numerous typologies have been offered for sorting the major contingencies of organizational functioning. Types of effectiveness, environments, technologies, structures, controls, strategies, goals, decision-making processes, leadership styles, job designs, and cognitive preferences, are just some examples. This paper proposes that the variations in each typology tend to follow a pattern, and that this pattern can be captured by the broader dimensions of closed versus open systems and technical versus social systems. It is argued that greater parsimony and integration of the organizational sciences are achieved by defining, sorting, and researching contingency variations according to the four resulting categories: closed-technical system, closed-social system, open-technical system, and open-social system. This paper concludes with suggestions for new research directions that follow from this metatypology.

It is argued that the necessary step in the formulation of "good" theories and their subsequent testing and refinement is uncovering the relevant underlying assumptions that different scientists make concerning the nature of human behavior, social environments, and the interactions between these. Since assumptions are, by definition, implicit, unconscious, or even obscure, an explicit process is needed to examine this hidden domain. This paper presents such a process and illustrates how this dialectical approach can be utilized to facilitate advances in social science research.

The present study investigated the effect of participant and trainer Interpersonal Value Constructs (IVC's) on the behavior and experiences that took place in eight sensitivity training groups. IVC's were defined as: mental categories through which an individual perceives and interprets the desirable and undesirable features of interpersonal behavior. The assessment of IVC's was by a scaled projective technique: the Kilmann Insight Test (KIT). Results suggest that interpersonal values as communicated by mostly nonconscious expressions do influence behavior in a T-group. In particular, depending on the match between trainer and participant IVC's (similarities and/or dissimilarities) the participant is more likely to have 'positive' interpersonal experiences in his group. Also, independent of the trainer, the specific IVC's that a participant applies in his group affects other participants becoming attracted to him and developing respect towards him.

This study investigated the psychological dynamics and situational factors that determine whether an individual will experience support and/or confrontation in a laboratory setting. The psychological dynamics were represented by C. G. Jung's psychological types and the situational factors were the experiential norms that manifest these psychic functions. A Contingency framework was derived to suggest the conditions that will lead to the acceptance or rejection of the laboratory experience, or to self-awareness and personal growth. The research data give reasonable evidence to this framework, and the implications of the study are given for: (1) the identification of the rejectors of particular laboratory experiences, (2) the design of different laboratories via alternative experiential norms, and (3) the intervention strategies for staff and trainers according to the laboratory setting and goals.

Individuals who have participated in large-scale change programs were asked to identify issues that have a highly positive impact or a highly negative impact on the change process. Managers, researchers, internal consultants, and external consultants listed over 900 issues that they believe have an impact on the ultimate success of large-scale change programs. Content analysis was utilized to group responses into meaningful categories. These categories of issues as well as differences in the responses of the four groups of individuals surveyed are discussed. The research provides an overview of key issues for consideration in the management of large-scale change efforts.